Antimicrobial activity of leaves and bark of Libyan Capparis spinosa subsp orientalis (Duh.) Jafri.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of Capparis spinose bark and leaves against different standard strains and clinical isolates. Soxhlet apparatus and rotary evaporator were used for extraction and evaporation of organic solvents extracts. Maceration and freeze drying used for extraction and drying of water extracts. Nutrient agar, Mueller Hinton agar and Sabouraud dextrose agar were used for bacterial and fungal culture and McFarland 0.5 solution used for calibration. Disc diffusion method and dilution agar plate assays were used to evaluate antimicrobial activities and minimum inhibitory concentrations. Six different antibiotics discs were used as references. According to results Capparis spinosa leaves and bark extracts with different solvents revealed variable in – vitro growth inhibition activity against tested standard strains and clinical isolates with highly significant differences; P˂ 0.01. The higher plant activities were obtained from chloroform bark extract and methanol leaves extract with equal minimum inhibitory concentration of 100mg/ml against both standard Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and clinical methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus , and these activities may due to the high presence of the phytochemical constituents such as flavonoids, tannins, steroids and triterpines. Chloroform bark extract very effective against standard and clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and methanol leaves extract is effective against the standard organism. Inconclusion, Capparis spinose subsp orientalis (Duh. Jafri leaves and bark extracts have a pronouncing antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus especially with the limited treatment choices.